5 Safety Tips to Keep in Mind When Using FireplacesPosted by Rex Conner on January 13th, 2022 Although fireplaces add the ambience of warmth and peace to your home, they can also hide a lot of problems. They can pose a serious hazard to you and your family’s safety if they are not used properly. (Information source: https://www.theoriginalflame.com/) So, to enjoy the warmth of a roaring fire without any risk of property damage or personal injury, you need to know how to use a fireplace properly and maintain the precautions before lighting the fire. For maintenance of the fireplace, you can always be in touch with a reputed fireplace store in Peterborough. Here are some tips that you need to keep in mind while using your fireplace. Clean Your Firebox After Use: A firebox and a grate are a must-have thing above your fireplace hearth as this will protect your hearth and catch the ashes to minimize the risk of a runaway fire. Also, you can clean the ashes and leftover coals from inside the fireplace with an ash vacuum as it helps to suck up the small particles leaving your fireplace clean. But always make sure not to burn yourself while cleaning the coals. Let the coals cool first and then you can clear them with a pair of heat resistant gloves. Keep Your Chimney Maintained: Carbon particles build up on the walls of the chimney and too much build-up can become a fire hazard. The gunk that gets build-up can catch fire which might cause a fire in the chimney. Also, too much build-up can create a blockage which can cause the smoke to stay inside your room which will affect both your lungs and eyes. So, getting your chimney cleaned once a year by a professional is recommended. Make Sure No Fuels Are Kept Near The Fireplace: You should always keep the area near your fireplace clean and clear of anything that might cause the fire to spread outside the fireplace. These kinds of objects include loose paper, newspapers, tissues and more flammable things. You can keep your fireplace clean by getting a fireplace tool kit and a log rack. The tool kit usually includes a broom, shovel, tongs and poker. You can use the broom and shovel to clean the area around the fire and remove any left charcoal from the previous fire. The tongs and poker are useful to make sure your fire is contained within the fireplace while burning. Don’t Leave the Fireplace Unattended: It is one of the rules that is widely broken. You should always stay near your fireplace as a tiny spark can ignite a devastating flame and fire spreads very quickly. Even a well-maintained fireplace can spit out embers so it needs proper attention before anything serious happens because if that ember lands on any flammable object, your house will be on fire. Keep A Fire Extinguisher Nearby: If you have a fire going on inside your house, you need to keep a fire extinguisher. You don’t know when you might get into trouble while enjoying a cold evening. So, it is always better to keep a fire extinguisher near your fireplace as it will help you extinguish the fire quickly thus reducing the damage it might cause. A fire blanket can also work to extinguish small fires and they do not cause more mess and are highly effective if used correctly. We all know the fireplace provides a cozy way to make your room warm. But if you own a fireplace, you need to maintain precautions in case anything major happens. So, remembering these tips will not only help you to stay safe but also minimize the risk of fire so that you can enjoy a warm evening without tension. Also, stay in touch with the fireplace store in Peterborough for any kind of maintenance. Like it? Share it!More by this author |